A common image-forming device known in the art forms prescribed images on a recording sheet by irradiating light onto charged photosensitive drums to form electrostatic latent images thereon, supplying toner from developing units to develop the electrostatic latent images into toner images, and transferring the toner images onto the recording sheet.
One such image-forming device disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2006-84552 includes a plurality of photosensitive drums juxtaposed in the front-to-rear direction, a plurality of developing units arranged one beneath each of the photosensitive drums, a developing unit support member for integrally supporting the developing units, a retaining base for supporting the developing unit support member so that the support member can slide in the front-to-rear direction, and an elevating mechanism for raising and lowering the retaining base vertically. The elevating mechanism primarily includes a moving member that moves forward and rearward along with the opening and closing of a front cover on the body of the image-forming device, a linkage mechanism for converting front-to-rear movement of the moving member to vertical movement, and a support rod that is advanced and retracted vertically through the linkage mechanism. The support rod functions to support the retaining base. Hence, when the front cover is opened, the retaining base is lowered by the elevating mechanism, separating the developing units from the photosensitive drums. This allows the operator to pull the developing unit support member toward the operator in order to replace the developing units without the photosensitive drums interfering with the developing units.